The ineffectiveness of the power grid system is creating an excess of generation that is wasteful and unsustainable. On top of this, much of our power is from unsustainable sources. Going off the grid is a way in which an individual can have a huge impact on a sustainability problem beyond just turning off their lights.
Lost In Transmission: How You Might Save Money (and the Planet) by Going Off the Grid
Oftentimes, when people suggest ways to affect climate change and fossil fuel use, they tell you to stop driving your car, or to take public transportation, or perhaps even to buy a hybrid or an electric car. What is rarely brought up is the massive amounts of fossil fuels that are burned every day so that you can power your electric car, or turn on your lights, or run your electric appliances. The large interconnected power grid that ties in to a central generating station allows people a level of isolation from the fact that even electricity, the shining beacon of human achievement, is actually covered in oil and coal.
Some Scary Statistics
Perhaps if people realized the amount of energy they are using that comes from fossil fuels, they would change their ways. Of the 409,095 thousand Megawatt hours of electricity generated in the United states in August 2010, 304,248 thousand Megawatt hours of that is produced by fossil fuels; that’s almost 75% (Statistics)! This is our fault too. The residential sector during this time period accounted for 41% of the power usage, a clear plurality (Statistics). Another issue is efficiency. In power generation using fossil fuels, efficiency begins to max out at about 55% due to maximum operating temperatures (Energy Lost). This causes heat runoff which is waste. Transmission is also a problem. A conservative estimate notes that, depending on the level of voltage and type of wire used as well as distance of transmission, anywhere from 3% to 20% of the power generated can be lost in transmission(Energy Lost). The grid also cannot respond quickly to individual usage and must operate above demand or risk brownouts and angry customers(Energy Lost).
How Can Making It Myself Help?
Fortunately, we are equipped to handle this problem, and you can go fix it yourself. The major problem with our power generation is that it is far, far away. This means inefficiencies and overproduction which means you pay for power that is never used. So why not just bring the power generation to the end user. Off grid power solutions for individual homes and communities are growing, mostly due to their ability to solve some of these classic problems.
First and foremost, the power is generated where it is needed, eliminating the runoff of transmission through wires which are not as efficient as they could be. All that would be necessary is the wiring of the individual power source into the house’s wiring, just as the grid would have been. This would also eliminate the problem of a balloon blowing a transformer a mile away taking out the power of an entire town. Individual upkeep would be necessary, but individuals would not be at the mercy of the power company as to when service happens and when the lights come back on.
Another one of the problems that could be solved would be the electricity ignorance that the public seems to have. If everyone was making their own power, they would have to be responsible for what type of generation they used. I would be willing to bet that very few would choose to have a coal plant spewing smoke in their backyard. In fact, the most sensible technologies for individual off grid power are some of the most sustainable. Wind and solar power are two of the most obvious and are currently being used in off grid communities in Australia (Energy Matters). There are also plans to take Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles off grid using 30% wind and solar power and 70% on site dual fuel generated electricity which will generate enough electricity that the facility will be able to sell some back to the local power grid; the system will be finished in September 2011 (Eagles).
These solutions can also affect the fossil fuel problem. Lincoln Financial Field, by converting to on site and 30% sustainable power, is projected to save CO2 emissions equivalent to 500,000 barrels of oil or 24 million gallons of gasoline every year it is in operation. This is more than the emissions of over 41,000 cars. In addition, the extra heat that usually is just wasted in centralized plants can be used to heat the smaller buildings that are powered by off grid generation, further reducing dependency on fossil fuels and saving the consumer even more money (Eagles). There is also talk of small scale Nuclear Reactors providing off grid power, however, such a notion is still in its infancy as it remains to be seen how the public will take to a reactor near their house (Reactors).
On top of all of these benefits, generating off grid power can save you a nice chunk of change. In Australia legislation was passed in June 2010 for a Solar Credit, which essentially amounts to a rebate on the renewable energy system that a household, school, or business installs (Energy Matters). This effectively brings the price down to the point where the savings from not paying the power company every month can be realized. Even in the UK, where such lucrative incentives don’t exist, an off grid system producing 24 kWh of power and costing £2000 will pay for itself in two years (Waterwheel). On top of this, it is possible to work out a deal which will allow any excess power generated by an off grid system to be sold back to the grid, providing more financial incentive for off grid power, as well as cleaner power for those still on the grid. Such a system has been approved in 40 states in the US (Bryant). As legislation develops, hopefully similar incentives will arise around the world, leading to local power generation that is more efficient as well as cleaner.
Going Off Grid
The major obstacle to going off grid is that people don’t quite know how to do it. We’ve been so conditioned to getting our power from centralized generating, that anything else seems awkward and difficult. After a little digging, I think the solution becomes clear, however.
Off grid generation systems are readily available. There is one in the UK that has just hit the market and can use any stream with a waterfall as small as 20cm for power (Waterwheel). The Australia link above also provides a comprehensive list of energy solutions for off grid generation. This provides a resource on everything from solar panels and wind turbines, to inverters and deep cycle batteries as well as where to find and purchase such essential items. It also provides a quote machine to determine how much it would cost an owner to install a system on a given building (Energy Matters).
Contrary to what people may think, it is not necessary to cut yourself off from the power company, and in fact, may be detrimental to do so. By simply wiring your individual system correctly (it is recommended that you contact a professional to do this for obvious reasons) you can both use your own power as well as the grid on the off chance that you decide to turn everything in your house on at once. Another advantage is the sellback mentioned earlier. There are currently forty states in which excess off grid power can be sold back to the power company, creating a profit for the user (Bryant).
A bank of batteries can also be useful for those who do not elect to remain connected to the grid but not to use it. This way, in the case of poor weather for solar panels or lack of wind for wind generators, excess energy will already be stored and be available during the worst of times (Bryant). Such systems have worked even in the Pacific Northwest, one of the rainiest places in the world.
You needn’t stop with just your power, however. There are many ways to go off grid with all your utilities, including water and sewage. This link provides a fantastic description of all these solutions as well as how they can be implemented and how they help the environment and your pocketbook (Bryant).
"Electric Power Monthly - Total Electric Power Industry Summary Statistics." U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/tablees1a.html>.
"Small Nuclear Power Reactors." World Nuclear Association | Nuclear Power - a Sustainable Energy Resource. 12 Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf33.html>.
Lost In Transmission: How You Might Save Money (and the Planet) by Going Off the Grid
Oftentimes, when people suggest ways to affect climate change and fossil fuel use, they tell you to stop driving your car, or to take public transportation, or perhaps even to buy a hybrid or an electric car. What is rarely brought up is the massive amounts of fossil fuels that are burned every day so that you can power your electric car, or turn on your lights, or run your electric appliances. The large interconnected power grid that ties in to a central generating station allows people a level of isolation from the fact that even electricity, the shining beacon of human achievement, is actually covered in oil and coal.
Some Scary Statistics
Perhaps if people realized the amount of energy they are using that comes from fossil fuels, they would change their ways. Of the 409,095 thousand Megawatt hours of electricity generated in the United states in August 2010, 304,248 thousand Megawatt hours of that is produced by fossil fuels; that’s almost 75% (Statistics)! This is our fault too. The residential sector during this time period accounted for 41% of the power usage, a clear plurality (Statistics). Another issue is efficiency. In power generation using fossil fuels, efficiency begins to max out at about 55% due to maximum operating temperatures (Energy Lost). This causes heat runoff which is waste. Transmission is also a problem. A conservative estimate notes that, depending on the level of voltage and type of wire used as well as distance of transmission, anywhere from 3% to 20% of the power generated can be lost in transmission(Energy Lost). The grid also cannot respond quickly to individual usage and must operate above demand or risk brownouts and angry customers(Energy Lost).
How Can Making It Myself Help?
Fortunately, we are equipped to handle this problem, and you can go fix it yourself. The major problem with our power generation is that it is far, far away. This means inefficiencies and overproduction which means you pay for power that is never used. So why not just bring the power generation to the end user. Off grid power solutions for individual homes and communities are growing, mostly due to their ability to solve some of these classic problems.
First and foremost, the power is generated where it is needed, eliminating the runoff of transmission through wires which are not as efficient as they could be. All that would be necessary is the wiring of the individual power source into the house’s wiring, just as the grid would have been. This would also eliminate the problem of a balloon blowing a transformer a mile away taking out the power of an entire town. Individual upkeep would be necessary, but individuals would not be at the mercy of the power company as to when service happens and when the lights come back on.
Another one of the problems that could be solved would be the electricity ignorance that the public seems to have. If everyone was making their own power, they would have to be responsible for what type of generation they used. I would be willing to bet that very few would choose to have a coal plant spewing smoke in their backyard. In fact, the most sensible technologies for individual off grid power are some of the most sustainable. Wind and solar power are two of the most obvious and are currently being used in off grid communities in Australia (Energy Matters). There are also plans to take Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles off grid using 30% wind and solar power and 70% on site dual fuel generated electricity which will generate enough electricity that the facility will be able to sell some back to the local power grid; the system will be finished in September 2011 (Eagles).
These solutions can also affect the fossil fuel problem. Lincoln Financial Field, by converting to on site and 30% sustainable power, is projected to save CO2 emissions equivalent to 500,000 barrels of oil or 24 million gallons of gasoline every year it is in operation. This is more than the emissions of over 41,000 cars. In addition, the extra heat that usually is just wasted in centralized plants can be used to heat the smaller buildings that are powered by off grid generation, further reducing dependency on fossil fuels and saving the consumer even more money (Eagles). There is also talk of small scale Nuclear Reactors providing off grid power, however, such a notion is still in its infancy as it remains to be seen how the public will take to a reactor near their house (Reactors).
On top of all of these benefits, generating off grid power can save you a nice chunk of change. In Australia legislation was passed in June 2010 for a Solar Credit, which essentially amounts to a rebate on the renewable energy system that a household, school, or business installs (Energy Matters). This effectively brings the price down to the point where the savings from not paying the power company every month can be realized. Even in the UK, where such lucrative incentives don’t exist, an off grid system producing 24 kWh of power and costing £2000 will pay for itself in two years (Waterwheel). On top of this, it is possible to work out a deal which will allow any excess power generated by an off grid system to be sold back to the grid, providing more financial incentive for off grid power, as well as cleaner power for those still on the grid. Such a system has been approved in 40 states in the US (Bryant). As legislation develops, hopefully similar incentives will arise around the world, leading to local power generation that is more efficient as well as cleaner.
Going Off Grid
The major obstacle to going off grid is that people don’t quite know how to do it. We’ve been so conditioned to getting our power from centralized generating, that anything else seems awkward and difficult. After a little digging, I think the solution becomes clear, however.
Off grid generation systems are readily available. There is one in the UK that has just hit the market and can use any stream with a waterfall as small as 20cm for power (Waterwheel). The Australia link above also provides a comprehensive list of energy solutions for off grid generation. This provides a resource on everything from solar panels and wind turbines, to inverters and deep cycle batteries as well as where to find and purchase such essential items. It also provides a quote machine to determine how much it would cost an owner to install a system on a given building (Energy Matters).
Contrary to what people may think, it is not necessary to cut yourself off from the power company, and in fact, may be detrimental to do so. By simply wiring your individual system correctly (it is recommended that you contact a professional to do this for obvious reasons) you can both use your own power as well as the grid on the off chance that you decide to turn everything in your house on at once. Another advantage is the sellback mentioned earlier. There are currently forty states in which excess off grid power can be sold back to the power company, creating a profit for the user (Bryant).
A bank of batteries can also be useful for those who do not elect to remain connected to the grid but not to use it. This way, in the case of poor weather for solar panels or lack of wind for wind generators, excess energy will already be stored and be available during the worst of times (Bryant). Such systems have worked even in the Pacific Northwest, one of the rainiest places in the world.
You needn’t stop with just your power, however. There are many ways to go off grid with all your utilities, including water and sewage. This link provides a fantastic description of all these solutions as well as how they can be implemented and how they help the environment and your pocketbook (Bryant).
Works Cited
"60% of Energy Lost in the Power Grid." Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself. 11 Apr. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.off-grid.net/2010/04/11/60-of-power-is-lost-in-the-grid-exclusive/>.
Bryant, Charles W. "How Living Off the Grid Works." Howstuffworks "Science" Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/living-off-the-grid1.htm>.
"Electric Power Monthly - Total Electric Power Industry Summary Statistics." U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/tablees1a.html>.
"Off Grid Solar Power Rebates - Energy Matters." Energy Matters Australia. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/solar-power/stand-alone-power-systems/remote-power-rebates.php>.
"Philadelphia Eagles Will Take Stadium Off Grid with Renewable Power." Sustainable Business, Green Business, Renewable Energy, Organic & Green Investing, Green Capital. 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21469>.
"Power a House with a Waterwheel." Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself. 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.off-grid.net/2010/11/19/power-a-house-using-a-waterwheel/#more-6258>.
"Small Nuclear Power Reactors." World Nuclear Association | Nuclear Power - a Sustainable Energy Resource. 12 Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf33.html>.
Collage Photos From:
http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/7149559/solar_off-grid_power_system.html
http://www.windpowerservicesllc.com/hybrid.html
http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/3788401/Off-grid_Solar_Wind_Hybrid_Home_Power.html
http://villagetech.org/SolarPowerforSchoolPC.aspx
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/generating-off-grid-power-3-ways.php